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Article Date: 18 Sep 2006 - 0:00am (PDT)
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While that new backpack your son or daughter just
got for the new school year might seem harmless,
there is the potential for a lifetime of back and
neck ailments if not loaded or worn correctly,
according to Dr. Paula Kramer, chair of the
Department of Occupational Therapy at University of
the Sciences in Philadelphia.
“While children's bodies are resilient, even they
can't take the day after day stress caused by a
backpack that is too heavy or worn improperly,”
Kramer said. “Even if the backpacks are made
lighter, if the weight is not distributed correctly,
there can be the prospect of long-term problems.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, more than 7,000 emergency room visits in
2001 were related to backpacks and book bags with
approximately half of those injuries occurring in
children 5 to 14 years old.
“Parents should remember when they help their
children to pack their backpacks, the heaviest items
should be placed closest to the child's body and as
close to their center of gravity as possible,”
Kramer explained. “Otherwise, not only will the
heavy backpacks cause strain on backs and necks, but
it will also make the child unsafe because it throws
off their center of gravity.”
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
concurs with a 2002 study in Spine that loaded
backpacks weigh no more than 15 percent of a
student's body weight. For example, a student
weighing 100 pounds should carry no more that 15
pounds.
While it might not be the fashionable thing to do,
backpacks should be worn with both shoulder straps,
preferably ones that are well-padded, and adjusted
so that the straps fit snugly. If the backpack comes
with a waist belt, that too should worn to help
distribute the weight. Ideally, it's best to use
backpacks with wheels when a heavy load is
unavoidable.
“When you have heavy backpacks, it's actually better
to use ones with wheels,” Dr. Kramer said. “However,
some schools ban them and children don't consider
them cool. It's a real conscious trade off for
schools. If you don't allow backpacks with wheels,
then you have to find some way to lighten up the
backpacks. You have to require less text books to be
taken home at night.”
AOTA is sponsoring a National School Backpack
Awareness Day on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2006. The day
will educate children, parents, school
administrators, teachers, and communities about the
serious health effects on children from backpacks
that are too heavy or worn improperly.
The program will entail a “weigh in” for children to
make sure their backpacks weigh no more than 15
percent of their body weight. Information about the
correct ways to select, load and wear backpacks will
be distributed. For more information, visit
http://www.aota.org.
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia is a
private, coeducational institution founded in 1821
as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first
college of pharmacy in North America. Comprising
four colleges across a broad range of majors, USP
specializes in educating students for rewarding
careers through its undergraduate, graduate and
doctoral degree programs in the health and related
sciences.
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
600 S. 43rd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
